| Great Church | |
|---|---|
Grote Kerk | |
 | |
  Great Church North Brabant | |
| 51°41′18″N5°18′19″E / 51.688405°N 5.305405°E | |
| Location | 's-Hertogenbosch |
| Denomination | Protestant Church |
| Website | Protestantse gemeente 's-Hertogenbosch |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Rijksmonument |
| Architect(s) | Jan de Greef |
| Years built | 1818-1821 |
The Great Church or Protestant Church is located in 's-Hertogenbosch. It is the main Protestant church of 's-Hertogenbosch.
At the place of the current church, there used to be the chapel of the Groot Ziekengasthuis. In 1482 the chapel was sold to the Brotherhood of St. Anne. The brotherhood demolished this chapel in 1523, and started to construct a new church building. This started with a high choir and a small tower. When the economy of the city slowed down, the choir was taken into use as a chapel. It had altars for Saint Anne, and the Holy Name of Jesus. After the Siege of 's-Hertogenbosch in 1629, the French Calvinist church took St. Anne's chapel into use. In 1799 lightning struck St. Anne's destroying the tower, and perhaps more than that. [1] However, in 1805 the French Calvinist community in the town had shrunk to only 43 people. [2]
On 10 May 1810 Napoleon ruled that the Catholic Church would get back St. John's Cathedral, and effected this ruling in the same year. [3] The Protestants got St. Gertrude's near Orthen street. In 1818 William I of the Netherlands ruled that the Catholic Church would retain St. John's, but would pay an indemnity of 60,000 guilders to the Protestants.
In August 1818 the municipal government ruled that St. Anne's Chapel was a more suitable place for a new Protestant church than St. Gertrude's. [4] The French Calvinists then moved to St. Gertrude's, and in 1847 to a new church, which would become the Lutheran Church. St. Anne's Chapel was then demolished by the Protestants.
The new church was designed by Jan de Greef. [5] The tender for construction of the new church took place on 4 September 1819. It was subject to approval by the Secretary for Waterstaat, [6] indicating that public funds were involved. This tender failed, so another one took place on 24 September. [7] In June 1821 there was a tender for the benches, chairs, pulpit, organ gallery and other interior parts. This was subject to approval by the Protestant community. [8]
The new church was christened on 6 January 1822 by Professor de Jongh, minister of the Protestant church. There was a special thanks to the king, 'who had given the church to the community'. [9]
The building has been built in neo-classical style, with a conspicuous absence of ornament. The roof has a ridge turret in the center. The side of the church that is visible from St. Anne's place is the only side that still has the original plaster layer. On the other sides the façades are bare brick. [2] Between 1900 and 1910 the windows in the southern façade were enlarged.
Before the south side of the church is a small place. Originally there was also a place north of the church, but this has been built over. On the west side St. Anne's place communicated to the northern square, so the church was only hemmed in on Gassel street when it was built.
In about 1970 the fence before the southern façade was removed, and in the 1980s the stairs before this entrance were widened and modernized
The interior was radically changed by a renovation in 1972–1973. The organ and pulpit are all that remains from the original furniture, designed by A. Goekoop when the church was built. There is also a copper baptismal font holder made by Cornelis Brem in 1718, which was brought from St. John's. The organ has been built by Bätz, and was taken into use in 1831. It was restored in 1962. [10]
In 2015 another interior reconstruction followed, adding underfloor heating, new bathrooms and even a kitchen. [11] Nowadays the church is also used for many (cultural) activities that are not directly related to religion.
The Zuid-Willemsvaart is a canal in the south of the Netherlands and the east of Belgium.
The Catholic Cathedral Church of St. John (Sint-Janskathedraal) of 's-Hertogenbosch, North Brabant, is the height of Gothic architecture in the Netherlands. It has an extensive and richly decorated interior, and serves as the cathedral for the bishopric of 's-Hertogenbosch.
Oploo is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the former municipality of Sint Anthonis. Since 2022 it has been part of the new municipality of Land van Cuijk.
Rijkswaterstaat, founded in 1798 as the Bureau voor den Waterstaat, is a Directorate-General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands, the former Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management. Its role is the practical execution of the public works and water management, including the construction and maintenance of waterways and roads, and flood protection and prevention. The agency was also involved in the construction of big railway projects such as the Betuweroute and the HSL-Zuid.
The Voorne Canal is a former ship canal on Voorne-Putten in South Holland, the Netherlands. It was the first canal to connect Rotterdam to the sea. Construction of the canal started in 1826 and was completed in 1829. Until the completion of the Nieuwe Waterweg in 1872 it was the main connection from Rotterdam to the sea for ocean going ships.
HNLMS Heiligerlee, formerly known as Panter, was a Heiligerlee-class monitor built in England for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the 1860s. Among the new ships built for the Dutch navy Heiligerlee was the first true monitor: a ship with shallow draught, only a few (heavy) guns and decent armor. These characteristics made her very suitable to operate way inland in the Dutch delta.
The Jheronimus Bosch Art Center is located in the former New St. James Church on Jeroen Boschplein in 's-Hertogenbosch, the capital of North Brabant. Since 2007, there has been a permanent retrospective exhibition here on the life and work of the painter Jheronimus Bosch, who was born in the town. The venue is also used for concerts and conferences.
Bokhoven Castle was a big defendable castle in Bokhoven, the Netherlands. A moat and part of the northern wall of the outer bailey are all that reminds of the castle.
The Swan Brothers' House in 's-Hertogenbosch is a museum and the home of a famous medieval confraternity.
The Big Arsenal, in Dutch: Groot Tuighuis, in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, is also known as Old St. James Church, or Oude Sint Jacobskerk. It is the former location of the Noordbrabants Museum. It now houses the municipal heritage department and its storage. It is open to visitors four days a week.
St. Catherine's Church, in Dutch Sint-Catharinakerk was previously named Cross Church, Kruiskerk or Kruisherenkerk and is located at the Kruisbroedershof.
The Lutheran Church of 's-Hertogenbosch is a former church in 's-Hertogenbosch.
The City Gymnasium of 's-Hertogenbosch is a grammar school, which is known as a gymnasium in the Netherlands. It is the second oldest school of the Netherlands.
The Royal Academy of Arts and Design was an academy for art education in 's-Hertogenbosch. In 2004 it merged with the Art Academy St. Joost from Breda to become the Academy of Art and Design St. Joost located in both Breda and 's-Hertogenbosch.
Engelen Lock is a lock with vertical-lift bridge in the Dieze Canal near Engelen, North Brabant, just before the canal exits into the Meuse.
Sint-Michielsgestel is a village in the municipality of Sint-Michielsgestel, Netherlands.
Tongelaar Castle is located between Mill and Gassel in North-Brabant, Netherlands.
Boxmeer Castle is an originally 13th century castle in Boxmeer, North-Brabant, Netherlands. It is situated on a former island in the Meuse.
The Wilhelmina Canal is a canal in North-Brabant, Netherlands. It connects Tilburg to the Meuse, and continues to the east to connect to the Zuid-Willemsvaart north of Helmond.
